There are several things that I look forward to every year, living in Colorado . The Aspens changing colors in October, elk hunting, first snow fall, but beer festival season is one of my favorite times of year. With over a dozen festivals along the Front Range from early spring to late fall there is always something beer related going on. From the massive Great American Beer Festival, to the outlandish Rails and Ales (if you’ve never been to a beer festival on a mountain top, what are you doing with your life?) . But I think the one that I look forward to the most every year is the All Colorado Beer Festival in Colorado Springs.

It was the first beer festival that my wife and I went to, and it is special to me. Looking back, it was a small festival; with no more than two dozen brewers. There were all the local brewers, and even a few from far flung Denver. We had as much fun finding the really good beers as we did finding the terrible ones. Trust me, no matter what fest I go to, there is always some bad beer. My wife is a masochist and a sadist, finding one and her face contorts in anguish. Then she looks at me, and says, “This is terrible! Here try it.”

I Love This Festival. It’s like an old friend that I get to see only occasionally.

It has grown considerably since our first trip, boasting nearly eighty breweries this year. It is gratifying to see the growth in the event and the number of returning faces. Below are some photos. If you’re looking for a fun, local beer fest next year, keep the All Colorado Beer Festival on your calendar for 2016.